


Baby, Be My Baby

by OdetoKosmos



Category: K (Anime)
Genre: Comedy, Cuteness galore, Established Relationship, Fluff, Humor, I mean were, Kid! Misaki, M/M, Oh come on they're dating, Post Reconciliation, Small mention of Past MikoRei, post rok
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-28
Updated: 2017-01-30
Packaged: 2018-07-27 09:11:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7612300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OdetoKosmos/pseuds/OdetoKosmos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dealing with a kid is never easy, Fushimi Saruhiko learns, especially if the kid was your boyfriend just this morning. </p><p>He realizes that he really needs Misaki's help with this one, but, ah, that's not possible...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I promised to take care of you...

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I'm guessing that the entire idea that is the center of this fic is pretty much a common one, but this is my take on it. And, this consists entirely of my own headcanons.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fushimi Saruhiko rushes into the Homra bar, not knowing what to expect.

 

Fushimi Saruhiko rushes into the Homra bar, not knowing what to expect. 

 

(He reaches home early, and is just getting irritated and clicking his tongue at the dumb time-piece because Misaki isn't home yet, when his PDA rings.) 

 

He vividly remembers the phone call from the blonde owner of the bar about fifteen minutes ago and remembers being told to get there as soon as possible. He remembers noting how broken Kusanagi-san's voice was. 

 

He also remembers hearing high pitched shrieks and hushed voices calling the Homra vanguard's name in the background. 

 

So, he bolts down the streets, because Misaki is not even answering his PDA. 

 

Generally, he would enter the bar cautiously, still not having gotten completely over his inhibitions regarding the bar. Sure, he has come to the bar a few times after he and Misaki have reconciled, but Misaki was always with him. But, all his inhibitions are drowned by the panic fogging his mind.

 

—

 

He is met with the members of Homra huddled in the center of the bar, in a startlingly uncharacteristic silence, broken by occasional sniffles. 

 

All of them, except Misaki. 

 

He looks in the general direction of the bar counter and his eyes fall on Kusanagi, sitting with the shattered remains of a wineglass, looking heartbroken and utterly resigned. 

 

"Why did you call?", Saruhiko asks, not wanting to appear too concerned in front of outsiders. 

 

But he is. So damn much. First, he doesn't trust these hooligans, and second, he doesn't trust _Misaki_ to stay out of trouble for a few days in a row. 

 

"Where is Misaki?", he blurts out, unable to hold his anxiety. 

 

He hears a scrambling, someone shuffling to his feet. He moves his head instinctively to the source of sound and promptly freezes. 

 

He would recognise that head of hair anywhere.

 

 _What_. 

 

It is Yata Misaki alright, disheveled auburn hair, wide amber eyes taking Saruhiko in, and when he comes rushing towards Saruhiko with a delighted scream of " _Saru_!", his head comes up till the middle of Saruhiko's thighs. 

 

_Fucking what._

 

Saruhiko still stands frozen, taking a few steps back due to the impact.

 

Kusanagi mutters slowly, "... The strain got him off guard downtown, an hour ago." 

 

It doesn't require explaining. It's the same strain Sceptre 4 has been chasing for a few days now.

 

"Half an hour ago,  he began to want to go home and fifteen minutes ago, he began to ask..." 

 

"More like, began to _howl_ ",  mutters some guy,  and Kusanagi shoots him a death glare and continues, "... _ask_ for you and so I called you."

 

The orange head of hair detaches itself from Saruhiko and an immensely bright smile displaying perfect pearls momentarily blinds him. 

 

"Saruhiko! You're late! Did you finally come to take me home?" 

 

Saruhiko freezes all over again as he meets the bright amber gaze for the first time that evening. It seems that all his muscles and his brain cells have stopped working together. 

 

Yes, he is definitely taking Misaki home, that's for sure. Like hell he'd be leaving him with these hoodlums, just because...just because he doesn't _know_ how to take care of a kid? Just because he doesn't have the slightest idea about dealing with kids? 

 

It's always Misaki who pats kids on their heads and asks them if they've lost their parents in the crowd or of they've bruised their knees, if they hurt somewhere. But now it's Misaki who is...

 

That voice comes to life at the back of his head. 

 

What if he ends up... like that man... and hurts his Misaki somehow? After all, _that's_ all he has ever learned about this. Every kind of pessimistic thought rushes through his head as he calculates everything that could go wrong. 

 

He doesn't trust himself. And he is not going to leave Misaki with someone like himself when Misaki's in a age when he would probably stay up Christmas nights to catch Santa Claus down the chimney. It would be _too easy_ to break him and his world and wasn't Saruhiko an _expert_ at that? 

 

Of course, Anna senses his hesitation. "Saruhiko", she says in a tone of absolute finality, "you are all he needs right now." 

 

"And, he has threatened to... destroy...", Kusanagi's voice breaks, "...my bar if you didn't come soon". He adds after a despondent pause, staring listlessly at the broken glass, "You see what he already did. No, Fushimi, you take him home".

 

"Let's go home, Saru!" 

 

Saruhiko looks down at Misaki, and that is the last thing he should've done. Misaki's eyes are starry bright, and sparkling like those emoticons, and fuck, he can't deny that. It's enough to mute all unwanted thoughts. And besides, it's a matter of two or three days at the most... 

 

His usual self kick-starts into functioning when some fat guy volunteers to help him with taking care of Misaki, and it is that particular moment when he steels his resolve to take care of Misaki by himself. 

 

"I don't think you'd be able to... ", Kamamoto begins, and Saruhiko nearly pulls a knife on that fatty, _what a fucking nerve_ , when his fellow clansmen jump in to save him, by jamming Saruhiko's arms with ' _necessary_ ' things in their definition. 

 

"Here's his skateboard. And his baseball bat."

 

"Here is his custom PDA. Keeps falling off his wrist."

 

"Here's the ton of pineapple flavoured candies we had to buy him. They're really... uhm... " 

 

" _Nice_ ", supplies someone else, glancing hurriedly at Misaki. 

 

"Here is his beanie. And his headphones. They keep sliding off to his chest."

 

"Here's the lollipop he's eaten half. Go on, take that too."

 

"And here is the baby."

 

"I'm _NOT_ a baby!", yells the little Misaki, brandishing a pea-sized fist, but his shape and size and tone and pitch do a very poor job of supporting him. 

 

There is a ripple of giggles and chuckles and ' _awww's_ among the men, and irritated as it makes Saruhiko, he really can't think of any other response to that. 

 

"Misaki, come on", he says quietly, rational thoughts returning to him once more, but the addressed person, half a person in fact, turns around fiercely, takes hold of Saruhiko's wrist and stomps out of the bar. The increasing volume of laughter bubbling out from the bar does not help at all, and Saruhiko is pretty sure he hears Anna stifling a giggle behind her handkerchief, like the polite girl she is. 

 

Misaki cools down considerably by the time their halfway home, and he's chattering in an excited voice about everything under the sun, waving his hands animatedly, telling Saruhiko about how glad he's to see him and looking at everything with an awe peculiar to children. Or, peculiar to Misaki, in general. 

 

 _Well_ , Saruhiko muses with an unconscious fond smile, _some things never change after all._ And, boy, is he glad. 

 

But, he soon finds out that he can't nearly keep up pace with the little redhead bounding down the streets, what with everything threatening to fall out of his arms and he's positive that he'll get a haemorrhage from Misaki's baseball bat jamming into his ribs. 

 

Misaki runs around a lamppost and hugs it, and Saruhiko exhales a long suffering sigh. 

 

He had kissed his twenty one year old boyfriend goodbye in the morning and he is taking a seven year old back home. 

 

But still, it makes him happy to think that the Strain which...

 

 


	2. I'm happy that you're with me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As he gets into bed beside Misaki, he hears Misaki stir and before he can swear at his clumsiness, he hears Misaki mumble in a small, sleepy voice. 
> 
> "Saru, are you sad?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just imagine that the set of clothes Misaki was wearing during the attack got small along with him.

 

But still, it makes Saruhiko happy to think that the Strain which, when provoked, turns adults into kids – has acted upon Misaki like this. 

 

The catch is, and he knows this by heart now by virtue of tons of paperwork and hours of research, that the kids don't remember anything. Nothing about their actual childhood.

 

Nothing and no one, except the person they have always loved the most. And if the victim doesn't have anyone like that, then he's in deep trouble. But... 

 

Misaki still remembers him, right? That means... 

 

He never gets to contemplate what that means because his train of thought crashes with the little redhead who stops in front of him with a delighted squeal. 

 

Saruhiko blinks once and looks down to where Misaki has his index finger pointed. 

 

"Saru! Look! It's a _kitten_!"

 

Saruhiko realizes, it is time to take things in his control now, it is time to use his third-in-command of Sceptre 4 voice, which scares ' _the life out of people_ ' according to what he'd overheard from the Sceptre 4 cafeteria during the break time. 

 

"Misaki, _no_. Absolutely not."

 

That, apparently, has no effect on Misaki. 

 

"But, Saru! It's a kitten and can I..."

 

"No...don't look at me like that."

 

"But..."

 

"No buts. We are going home, and we are going home _now_. No cuddling kittens on streets. And goodness knows what horrible germs it has on it and think of what...wait, Misaki?"

 

After a few moments of rapidly growing panic, he notices two things. Misaki is not near him anymore and there is a little figure crouched by the kitten and the way Saruhiko sprints towards that is nowhere near ten miles of graceful. 

 

. 

 

Saruhiko has to manually detach Misaki from the kitten and he begins walking in firm steps, dragging Misaki if he has to, grim determination on his face to reach home soon. But, it seems, Misaki is indomitable. 

 

So they reach home between enthusiastic exclamations of "Saru! It's the _moon_!", "Saru! It's a _traffic signal_!", "Saru! It's a _bald man_!" and mumbled replies of "Yes, Misaki" and "No, Misaki" from somewhere above Misaki's head. 

 

Saruhiko sighs in relief as they reach their apartment. Heck, he's already feeling tired and this is just the beginning. His calculations are never wrong. He's pretty sure that there's no way out of this and even if there is, he's positive that he can't see it because of the fucking gigantic skateboard in his arms. 

 

. 

 

This is probably the first time in his life that Saruhiko feels dumb. The _credit_ goes to Misaki of course. 

 

After fifteen minutes of hard work, Misaki stands in front of him, clad in one of his shorter tee shirts, sleeves rolled up, and it's lower end trailing behind Misaki like an evening gown. _That_ is Misaki's nightwear. 

 

Saruhiko doesn't know whether he should laugh or cry at that sight. 

 

And the way Misaki completely messes up everything after approximately ten minutes doesn't help either. 

 

Saruhiko microwaves some of the curry rice that his boyfriend had cooked last night and sits the present version of his boyfriend at the table for dinner. 

 

He realizes soon, with some alarm that he shouldn't have made that remark about getting Misaki a _bib_ and a _baby spoon_ , because the way Misaki fumes at that is pretty terrifying. The way Misaki's face reddens with anger, the way his cheeks puff and the way he eats furiously...it is _terrifyingly cute_ , and Saruhiko finds himself smiling inspite of himself. 

 

Misaki, he decides, is either going to catch a terrible cold or stumble and break his nose or both if he has to wear these evening gowns at home. So, Saruhiko has to _shop_ for him now. Suddenly, the paperwork of Sceptre 4 seems _so_ much sweeter. 

 

He sits down at other end of the table with his laptop while Misaki is eating, and opens one of those despicable online shopping sites for children's clothes. He occasionally grimaces and cringes at the seemingly stupid stuff and utter nonsense printed in bold upon the small shirts, accompanied by hordes of rather vicious birds and distorted rainbows and idiotic stars. 

 

He decides on a few plain tee shirts of solid colour, and a pair  each of green and khaki shorts, and clicks on the ' _Deliver by the next morning_ ' option. 

 

. 

 

Having finished eating, Misaki storms off to the bedroom, pointedly ignoring Saruhiko, and Saruhiko can't but smile. He quickly grabs the first edible thing he sees in the fridge, makes a dinner out of it and drops the plates in the sink. 

 

He comes inside their bedroom and his heart clenches once more. Misaki is sitting on the edge of the bed, little legs dangling in the air, and he's holding his fingers in front of him and looking at them with the most intense concentration. 

 

Saruhiko cannot hold back the urge to go and sit down beside the little Misaki. 

 

When Misaki doesn't look up, Saruhiko gets curious. "What are you doing, huh Misaki?''

 

No answer. "Still angry?"

 

Misaki looks at him out of the corner of his eyes once and replies in the most official of tones."I'm counting how many red cars I saw on the way home." He adds after a thoughtful pause. "I like red cars."

 

"Oh?", Saruhiko asks, amused. "How many of them can you count with all of your fingers, huh?" 

 

Misaki replies indignantly. " _Ten_ , didn't you know?" 

 

Saruhiko suppresses the urge to smile wider. "Ah, I see. But I'm going to tell you something that you didn't know, Misaki...", Misaki looks up, eyes wide, "...would you believe me if I said you had _eleven_ fingers in your hands?" 

 

Misaki gasps, mouth agape, anger forgotten. "No way! Show me!" 

 

Saruhiko smiles again. Heck, this is going to be so much fun. His smile falters a little as he hears the inevitable. "Let's have some fun, my little monkey ~", and the crashing noise of breaking glass and maniacal laughter. 

 

It's Misaki's eyes wide with surprise that ground him, and he's silently grateful. 

 

"Look," he says, holding up Misaki's right hand, and begins counting down from the pinky, "Ten, nine, eight, seven, _six_...", and then he holds up the left hand and starts counting up from the thumb, "One, two, three, four, and _five_. There, now add six and five." 

 

Misaki adds the numbers meticulously, and slowly, all of his features brighten with the light of realization. "It's..it's _eleven_! Saru, it's eleven! I have eleven fingers!" 

 

Saruhiko feels his lips curving up involuntarily, and he's smiling wide before he realizes it. He finally gives in to his urge to run his fingers through that unruly auburn hair and ruffle it some more. 

 

Misaki is still vibrating with the happiness from this newfound wonder, and Saruhiko has a gut feeling that this would have worked on Misaki regardless of his age, and to the same effect even. 

 

Suddenly, something clenches painfully in Saruhiko's throat and his hand on Misaki's hair stills. He doesn't really want those images, not at all but... _A Rubik's cube. Finishing it for the first time. The happiness. The sheer joy. Two hands and numerous rings and a laughter. Broken, broken. Broken. Numerous dots of colour strewn on the floor. All his fault, all_ his. _..  . Nothing lasts forever, except for the murky gray._

 

He stands up abruptly and suspects that there is a faint hint of an unsteady edge to his voice when he speaks. "Go to bed, Misaki. It's late." 

 

Misaki says something, but that never fully reaches his ears because he has already tumbled out to the living room. He stands stiff at their dining table, and the glasses of water he drinks do nothing to soothe his parched throat. 

 

Suddenly, there's something poking at his lower back, and he nearly jumps out of his skin. 

 

He turns around to meet Misaki's beautiful eyes, looking up at him. Misaki smiles and suddenly, with a strange wriggling movement, he climbs up Saruhiko, like a monkey climbing up a tree, and sits himself at the joint of Saruhiko's neck and shoulder, legs dangling from either sides of his head. 

 

"Hey, Saru, give me a piggyback!", he shouts in glee, and the happiness in his voice jams Saruhiko's brain and he forgets to feel sick, he forgets the emptiness that still lurks around, he forgets the darkness. 

 

He grips Misaki's shins carefully and walks back slowly to the bedroom, occasionally swaying on purpose, just to hear Misaki yell gleefully. 

 

And Misaki's smile, that's the one thing that'll last forever. Even if nothing else does. 

 

. 

 

"Sa- _uh-aaaaaaaa_ -ru...", Misaki yawns once they're back in the bedroom, "Can I - _uwwwaaaah_ \- stay the night up with you?" 

 

He slowly lifts Misaki off his shoulders, lies him on the bed and puts a pillow under his head. 

 

"Of course you can, Misaki." He has learnt his lesson with forbidding Misaki to do something. 

 

"Mm. Good...", is all that makes its way out, and Misaki is in the Land of Nod before he can say goodnight. 

 

Saruhiko hesitates when his hand is a few centimeters from Misaki's peaceful sleeping face. He withdraws the hand. 

 

. 

 

As he gets into bed beside Misaki, he hears Misaki stir and before he can swear at his clumsiness, he hears Misaki mumble in a small, sleepy voice. 

 

"Saru, are you sad?"

 

Saruhiko feels his eyes widen and his breath hitch; the sudden moment of awkward speechlessness and the sleep that is weighing down his eyelids bid him to do the thing he should've done long ago. 

 

He slowly presses a kiss on Misaki's forehead and runs his fingers slowly through the fiery strands and whispers, "No, Misaki, I'm...", he pauses for a lack of word, and it suddenly clicks in him that Misaki is probably in an age when he defines the world in terms of either good or the opposite, either sad or the opposite. 

 

"I'm... happy. Now go to sleep." 

 

Misaki smiles, probably he's still in a dream, and moves closer to Saruhiko. 

 

Saruhiko pulls Misaki closer before he can think twice and clicks his tongue softly, because _damn_ , this is not necessarily as bad as he thought it would be and he's...quite liking this. 

 

.

 

There still are lots of questions that he's looking for an answer to...

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh Saruhiko, I wish you knew what is to come... 
> 
> If you wish to know that, stay tuned...!


	3. I think it's better not to know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because it's always the same with adults and kids, always the same relation, the same position of power, it's completely upto the adult to make the kid smile or make him cry, to build him or to break him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry that this is a poor update...these exams are gonna be the death of me.

Saruhiko thumps the irritating alarm off and buries his head further within the pillow. Consciousness slowly returns  to him, and so do the questions. 

 

Does...Misaki remember what they were before this happened? 

 

Does Misaki remember what he was to Saruhiko? What Saruhiko was to him? 

 

He knows Misaki does not, but the question is, _what_ does Misaki remember him as? 

 

And, most importantly, he thinks as he turns to lie on his stomach, why can't Misaki be more like this on the rest of the days? Like not kicking him out of the bed as soon as the clock struck six? 

 

He nearly screams when he feels the shape of small feet landing on his back. 

 

"Saru! _Saru_! Get up! How much more will you sleep? SARU!"

 

 _Well, being kicked out of bed is a far more welcome means of being woken up than being danced upon_ , Saruhiko decides then and there but there is not much that he can do about it.

 

. 

 

 _This is the day,_ Saruhiko sighs, _that he's been living to see._

 

In front of him, Misaki sits in a bathtub, and from what he can gather, Misaki is trying to build a fort of bubbles around himself, laughing giddily whenever the bubbles burst with little pop sounds. 

 

Saruhiko exhales a long, suffering sigh, he's kind of near to getting a trademark by this point, and steps inside the bathroom, sleeves of his nightshirt rolled up. 

 

He has work today and has decided to leave Misaki in charge of Kusanagi-san and Anna for the day. He doesn't want any of them Reds thinking he can't take proper care of a kid, however different the actual scenario may be. Anyway, he has to make Misaki look presentable in front of others, so... 

 

...he has to wash Misaki's hair. And probably scrub his back too. 

 

"Saru, the water's too cold," Misaki complains. Saruhiko mentally notes, _ah, this is just the beginning_ , and steps forward obediently to comply, no matter how hard he wants to take off on his heels. 

 

Indeed, it's just the beginning. 

 

" _Ah_! It's too hot now!"

 

Turn the knob, put your fingers in the water, check the temperature, no, not right, turn the knob again...

 

"It's too cold again."  

 

Saruhiko would definitely have shot Misaki the sharpest of his glares had Misaki not been...well, not been as he was now. 

 

Turn the knob...sigh deeply...concentrate on turning the darned knob...

 

"Saru... ", Misaki begins and Saruhiko knows nothing good is going to come with that voice. 

 

"Now it's too _deep_."

 

Saruhiko feels like drowning himself in that very bathtub. 

 

. 

 

Maybe he should've drowned himself while he could, Saruhiko thinks. 

 

He stands in the middle of the bathroom, the bath sponge in his hand and he calculates that there is way more soap on his body than there is on Misaki's. 

 

He has been trying to get his hands on Misaki for quite a while now, but Misaki has been slipping out of his hold like an eel, and all his shouts, orders, pleas have been answered by Misaki sticking his tongue out at him. 

 

Saruhiko absolutely _detests_ the idea of him running all around after Misaki like a fussy mother hen runs after a particularly disobedient chicken – the mere thoughts making him cringe. 

 

Fifteen minutes later, Saruhiko stands exhausted, soaked to the bone, the bathroom and adjacent regions flooded with water and shampoo and soap. Misaki stands proudly, clad in a towel, and surveys the extent of flooding. 

 

Saruhiko feels that fighting ten grown up men would be nothing compared to this. 

 

. 

 

Fushimi Saruhiko, the feared third-in-command of Sceptre 4, feels a wave of horror running down his spine as he looks into the fridge and realizes that he has to cook breakfast. A breakfast that would not _kill_ them both if they ate it, that is. 

 

Saruhiko confounds the stupid eggs in the kitchen and mutters curses under his breath, because eggs should be able to cook themselves and you are not supposed to cuss in front of a seven year old  and as it is, said seven year old knows enough curses already - when he hears a resounding crash from the hallway. 

 

He is there in two gigantic leaps, and assesses the situation gravely. 

 

It does not take him long to understand that Misaki has tripped over his stupid skateboard, and now is standing there, biting his lips, a large cut on his left knee oozing blood, while tears form slowly in wide amber eyes. 

 

" _Tch_ ," Saruhiko grumbles as he kneels in front of the redhead after sitting him on a chair. He gingerly presses the cotton soaked in disinfectant to the wound, and hears a howl and a whimper. 

 

Saruhiko is at a loss for words. He doesn't know what to say to a kid in pain and doesn't know how to ease the pain either. 

 

"Tch. Don't be such a crybaby." That's all he can remember from the time he sprained his ankle when he was six and was seen in tears from the searing pain by his mo - that guy's wife. Okay, he leaves out the ' _worthless_ ' part, but, that's about all he can come up with. 

 

Probably, it would've worked on the older Misaki, but does not work on seven year old kids. He knows it from his own experiences. 

 

Misaki bites his lips hard and brings a little fist to his eyes to rub furiously at them, valiantly trying to suppress the tears rolling down his cheeks. 

 

"I'm not a crybaby!" he attempts to yell, which ends in a whine. "It's just that...it h- _hurts_ so..." 

 

Fixing the bandages upon the wound, Saruhiko looks up, and his wary gaze meets wide honey eyes looking expectantly at him from behind the tears. 

 

"Saru," he begins, "Make the pain go away." 

 

That's the cutest demand Misaki has ever made, but Saruhiko doesn't have the vaguest idea of how to fulfill it. 

 

Because it's always the same with adults and kids, always the same relation, the same position of power, it's completely upto the adult to make the kid smile or make him cry, to build him or to break him. 

 

And, he's the adult here; he doesn't trust himself with anything that can be destroyed, like the light in a child's eyes. And Misaki is the child. 

 

He remembers the programs on TV and the mothers in the parks, who kneel in front of their children and _kiss the pain better._ Saruhiko has always thought that this is all bullshit, but that is the only other thing he can think of doing as he bends slightly and presses his lips softly to the bandaged wound. 

 

Yes, he has kissed Misaki before but this is a whole new dimension that he didn't even know existed. That small unsure and anxious voice at the back of his mind gets louder by the second. 

 

"There, it's gone now." Saruhiko lifts his face and pats on the bandage gently, and when he looks up, Misaki's eyes are brighter than the brightest stars in the summer sky, his smile warmer than the sun and his laughter is merrier than a mountain brook as he flings his arms around Saruhiko's neck.

 

And Saruhiko feels it was worth it, letting go of his anxieties and the voice at the back of his mind and doing something he would never do in his wildest dreams is something totally worth it if it makes Misaki so happy. 

 

When he breaks the embrace, Misaki is still smiling, he feels that maybe this isn't as bad as he thought it would be. 

 

But, that feeling doesn't last long. He sees a sudden frown crease Misaki's features, and his throat clenches, _fuck_ , he must've ruined it. He feels totally helpless all over again as Misaki opens his mouth to speak. 

 

"Saru," Misaki says, sounding concentrated and unnaturally thoughtful, "What is that mark on your neck?" 

 

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._

 

He stands up abruptly, his vision swirls and he almost cracks his neck and wants to flee into the kitchen that he hates so much once more, but his feet remain rooted to the damn spot. 

 

"And there's one more down there! Who did that to you?!"

 

All the memories of a particularly rough night come back to him in a rush, all sounds and all sights, and he feels giddy. He doesn't fucking know how to get himself out of this. Saruhiko does not exactly feel like explaining the dynamics behind the said mark, and even if he feels like it, he knows not _how on earth_ he will. 

 

 He is aware of the change in the tempo of his breathing. 

 

"I'm gonna kill whoever did that to you!" The little Misaki jumps down from the chair, fists balled and eyes shining.

 

 _Of course you wouldn't know. You can't really kill him. The one who did this...,_ Saruhiko thinks, doing his best to keep his face away from that scrutinizing gaze, and getting as irritated as he could manage under given circumstances at his reaction and inexplicable loss of words. 

 

  _Fushimi Saruhiko, the feared third-in-command of Sceptre 4..._

 

_... and a little kid whose head comes up till the middle of his thighs._

 

"Hey, does it hu-   _Hey_ , Saru, why is your face all red?" Misaki asks urgently, totally oblivious of the elder's internal crisis. "Are you feeling sick?" 

 

_Fuck my entire existence._

 

Saruhiko wishes whole heartedly for the floor to turn into sand, so that he can stick his head in it like an ostrich. He fails miserably in stopping the _red_ from spreading down from his face and can't for the life of him come up with a suitable reply. Hell, Misaki would pay thousands to just get to see this... 

 

... but the thing is, Misaki is too small to know about _hickeys_.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good job, Misaki! Getting Fushimi Saruhiko flustered is a very big deal!


	4. I always think of you when you're away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Homra trying to babysit Misaki, and Misaki giving them the time of their lives. Brace yourselves!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes. I know I'm late with the update.

 

Chitose sits on the large sofa at the Homra bar and his mind races through a hundred ways to take revenge on Fushimi for leaving this disaster with them. 

 

In front of him, sits Yata Misaki on a barstool, legs dangling in the air, hands crossed over his chest, eyes narrowed and measures Chitose from head to toe. 

 

Their eyes have been locked in the staring competition for the past fifteen minutes, and one can really see sparks flying. 

 

(Fushimi comes to the bar in the morning as per the plan of the day, with Misaki trailing along. It has been already decided between Kusanagi and Fushimi that Misaki is staying here at Homra while Fushimi worked. 

 

Chitose remembers Kusanagi-san telling them that. "Yata-kun is going to be with us for the day. Would you guys be able to..." 

 

Chitose remembers thumping his fist on his chest and saying confidently, " _Don't_ you worry, Kusanagi-san, we'll take care of him just fine! Oh, it'll be fun babysitting our Yata!") 

 

On retrospect, after taking Misaki on a _little baby walk_ around the city, babysitting him is everything but _fun._

 

. 

 

Eric and Fujishima come inside the bar, having finished their patrolling, and while Eric throws himself bodily on the sofa, Fujishima rushes for the medical supply box to treat the little kitten he's picked up. 

 

Eric takes a sideways glance at Chitose and probably feels a twinge of pity in his heart at the sorry state of his fellow clansman, hair sticking out at all directions and eyes borderline manic. 

 

"You got taken down by this little chihuahua? Chitose?"

 

At this, Misaki turns his placid, unwavering stare at Eric now, similarly measuring the blond from head to toe. 

 

Chitose whips his head towards Eric, and yes, his eyes are definitely close to losing sanity, and grits out, " _You_ don't know this little chihuahua yet... _I_ do." 

 

The young man gets up from his seat and paces around the room, throwing his hands in the air and recites dramatically. " _I_ had to walk around the whole city twice, searching for pineapple flavored ice cream! Then _I_ had to play catch with him! Then _I_ had to walk through ankle deep muck because _someone_ dropped his ball in the darned drain! Then _he_ got lost twice and that idiot policeman kept telling _me_ off! And, and I could've sworn to that dog that it was not _me_ who stamped on its tail! And then...then..."

 

Bandou supplies cheerfully from the kitchen, "Don't forget the old man whose windowpane Yata broke with that ball!" 

 

"Look here, you bast–aaaaaahaHAHA _HA_! What a funny guy! Seriously—" and everybody starts laughing, _howling_ rather, on cue, as everybody remembers just in time about the restrictions to their choice of words for the day. 

 

Chitose has to content himself with shooting a murderous glare towards Bandou, who stands at the entrance to the kitchen with an angelic smile on his face. 

 

Eric decides that now is not a good time to smile, because there are high chances that he'll be murdered, and turns towards the little redhead. 

 

"Hey...um...little kiddo–"

 

"I'm not a kid." comes the cutting reply. 

 

''What are you then?"

 

"Are you trying to kidnap me? Because if you do, Saru will _kill_ you!"

 

Eric makes a snort between irritation and exasperation, and swears under his breath. 

 

Misaki opens his mouth for another cutting reply, to ask whether that ' _f'_ word was good or bad, but his attention turns towards the person who comes in just then. 

 

Fujishima comes inside the room, cradling the kitten in his arms. "Hey Yata! Wanna play with the kitten?"

 

The addressed person looks at the kitten, a little black and white thing, but turns his gaze away with considerable restraint. 

 

"Saru has told me not to cuddle kittens." He says firmly, crossing his hands over his chest and all everyone can do in response is gawk, except Chitose. 

 

Chitose snorts triumphantly. "See for yourself." 

 

Fujishima makes another hurried effort. "Okay, okay, don't cuddle kittens! At least play with us, then!" 

 

Misaki's gaze turns harder. "Saru had told me not to mix with strangers." 

 

Even Chitose gawks at the little redhead now. Eric snorts. 

 

"What, your _boyfriend_ is more important to you now? And we mean nothing?"

 

Bandou rushes toward Eric to clamp a hand on his mouth, and hisses, "What are you doing, you blithering idiot? If Kusanagi-san doesn't kill us, Fushimi will!" 

 

Chitose interrupts. "No, San-chan, let him—" but he is stopped by the sound of a squeaky little voice, which sounds as menacing as it can possibly get. 

 

"What did you just call Saru?"

 

Misaki hops down from the stool and approaches Eric like a panther stalking its prey. 

 

"Is _boyfriend_  a bad word?"

 

And, with a sudden lunge, he is at Eric's throat, and when the thoroughly disgruntled blond stands up with a ungraceful squawk, Misaki is left hanging from Eric's throat. 

 

Everybody jumps in the scene at once. 

 

"Get this little pest off me!" Eric sways, trying to detach Misaki's hold on his throat, but swaying is a wrong move. 

 

" _Yay_! This is so much fun! Hey, do it again!"

 

The merry voice and childish laughter is apparently very infectious, and very soon, every man except Eric, is cackling at the drama. 

 

Eric's rescue comes in the form of the blond owner of the bar. 

 

The bells jingle when the door of the bar is pushed open. Kusanagi comes in and Anna follows closely, a little bag hanging daintily from her hands. 

 

"We're back!" exclaims Kusanagi, "How's — _Hey_! What the...what are you _doing_?" 

 

Everybody freezes in whatever postures they are in, and there is an ominous silence in the bar, broken by a strangled squawk from Eric. 

 

Suddenly the weight around Eric's throat is relieved and Misaki is beside Anna in a split second, clutching the hem of her frock. 

 

"Yes, Misaki?" Anna asks, voice gentle as ever. 

 

Misaki points up an accusatory fist, however little may it be, toward the men standing huddled together in various postures, all of which are beyond explanation. 

 

"These big men are being so mean to me!"

 

Anna gasps, all of the young men in the bar scream together, Kusanagi facepalms. 

 

. 

 

"Boys, what is this that I hear?"

 

Chitose makes a pained expression. "Wait, Kusanagi-san, we can explain everything!" 

 

"Very well. Explain everything."

 

"I...we were...I mean, ask them — come on, guys, say something..."

 

Misaki grins, victorious. 

 

. 

 

Chitose slumps down on a stool beside the counter and mumbles, "Give me something...anything with alcohol. And strong – I wanna drown my sorrows in it..."  and ends his sentence with a long sigh. 

 

Kusanagi smiles, amused, deft hands already working on his prized possessions. "And what may your sorrows be, young man?" 

 

Chitose sighs like a gale. "There was this really _cute_ chick...and I had almost managed her after fifteen minutes of, _er_ , coaxing. And suddenly this snot-nosed little guy, half a human being in fact, entered the scene...and the girl _forgot_ me! She got all mushy and pinched _his_ cheeks and called _him_ cute and walked away...walked away!"

 

Kusanagi nods his head like a wise old prophet. "Ah! Rivalry in love, I see!" He puts down a glass in front of Chitose. "You deserve this, boy, you had to... _endure_ a lot." 

 

Misaki hops on to the barstool beside Chitose, and Chitose groans. 

 

"What is a cute chick? Are you talking about chickens?" asks an utterly innocent voice, and the older men stop in their tracks. 

 

Kusanagi begins with a hurried attempt to hush the matter up, but Misaki speaks over him, "What is this bad guy drinking?" 

 

"Poison," Chitose mutters and takes a sip. Hazel eyes widen in admiration. 

 

"I want to drink this too. This poison thing."

 

Kusanagi smiles his invincible smile and reaches for a tetra pack. "How about drinking this beautiful orange juice, huh Yata-chan?" 

 

Yata-chan shakes his head stubbornly. "No. I wanna drink this." 

 

Kusanagi tries reasoning once more. "That is a thing only bad guys drink, but you – are going to drink this orange juice, you and Anna, because—" 

 

"Did you forget, Glasses Uncle?" Misaki grins devilishly. "Either you give me that, or I'll break all your glasses and bottles and that door and this..."

 

Kusanagi's face pales and his smile drops instantly, and there is a veritable change in his voice, as he remembers... 

 

_I'll break this place down if Saru doesn't come soon!...and the horrific sound of a  beautiful wine glass breaking..._

 

"No! No no no! _Don't_! It'll be as you say!" Kusanagi panics, attempting to hide the rows of glinting bottles in a you-have-to-kill-me-first manner. 

 

It ends up with a happy little redhead, a poised little lady, and a barful of adult men sipping orange juice from wine glasses. 

 

.

 

Kusanagi's phone rings. He picks up and after a few nods and a few notes hummed into the receiver, he ends the call. 

 

"Boys, Kamamoto called. The right hand man of that drug dealer has been sighted—''

 

All the young men jump up at once and nearly fall over themselves in an attempt to reach for the door. 

 

"That gang is dangerous, Kusanagi-san!" 

 

"We can't risk the lives of our fellow clansmen!"

 

"Anna," Kusanagi asks, amused smile on his face, "are you coming?" 

 

Anna nods, "Yes. After me and Misaki clear up the crayons and pencils." 

 

Misaki breaks into a wild jig. "That means I'm going to Saru! _Yay!_ I'm going to Saru! Saru, I'm coming!" 

 

Bandou whispers in Eric's ear, "I kinda...feel sorry for Fushimi, you know, after all, he didn't really do anything as bad as to have to deal with this." 

 

. 

 

It is decided that Misaki has to be dropped off at Sceptre 4.

 

Chitose places a hand on Misaki's unruly hair and bends his knees to bring their faces to the same level. 

 

 _Ah, sweet revenge_. Chitose feels sorry for Fushimi...not. 

 

"See, Yata, I know you're clever...and all, so if anyone there stutters too much or asks if you're...I'll teach you what to say..."

 

The rest of the words are whispered into Misaki's ear and Misaki nods happily. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next is Sceptre 4's turn to handle Misaki! Let's see how they fare...and Saruhiko, I wish you luck.


	5. I can do anything for you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Hello everybody!" He bows, like the well mannered, polite kid he is. Not. ''My name's Yata, I'm 7 years old and it's nice to meet you. And this," he flashes a blindingly bright smile at the Blue Officer, "is my Saru."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear readers, 
> 
> The poor author was diagnosed with and was suffering from an acute and prolonged case of Exam-induced-Author's-Block. The author is still recovering.
> 
> Love,  
> The Author.

 

It is at the beginning of the lunch break of the day and some of the blue clansmen are gathered in the cafeteria when a visitor calls for Fushimi Saruhiko, the third in command of Sceptre 4.

 

Akiyama, Benzai, Goto and Enomoto exchange knowing looks as their superior walks out trailing tongue clicks and muttering curses, because nowadays, whenever there is a visitor for Fushimi-san, it is in the form of a loud mouthed redhead on a skateboard. 

 

They smile, knowingly, they are happy for their superior. 

 

. 

 

When Saruhiko walks back into the cafeteria, the others notice a slight limp in his stance. 

 

Before anybody can speculate anything, the reason behind the limp makes itself visible as a little head of deep orange hair bobbing beside Saruhiko's right leg, the owner of the head clutching the blue coat tightly with cute little fists. Slowly, wide amber eyes and a slightly agape mouth peeps out from underneath the mop of fiery hair. 

 

Everyone's jaws drop and Saruhiko suppresses a groan. 

 

The little being hiding behind Saruhiko's coat moves into view. ''Do you work here?" a high-pitched voice squeaks, filled with awe. 

 

"... Yes," Saruhiko draws the kid to a chair and sits him down, and he immediately springs back up again. Saruhiko does not make the least effort of getting hold of the kid, instead, he sits down heavily on the deserted chair himself. 

 

"Is that... " starts Akiyama."That is..." says Benzai, but the sight of their superior, a hand pressed to the bridge of his nose, stops them mid-sentence. The kid, who has clambered off to another table, looks back, sees Saruhiko's posture, runs back to him and flings himself around the neck of the taller male. 

 

''Are you sad? Why are you sad? Did you scrape your knee too? Shall I kiss it better, Saru?"

 

Akiyama and Benzai are glad that they cannot see the expression on their superior's face. 

 

Hidaka, Fuse, Kamo and Doumyouji choose this moment to enter the cafeteria. Doumyouji nearly shrieks and Hidaka looks like he is about to faint. It's a few minutes before Doumyouji finds his voice and squeaks out, "Is that... Is  that your..."

 

_...son?_

 

And before he can finish, the little kid seems to interpret in his own way the latter half of the unfinished sentences, and detaches himself from the Blue's neck, who seems to have frozen, and shouts in a happy tone. 

 

"He's being my dad now! Isn't that nice?"

 

Misaki smiles proudly, because _isn't that what Chitose uncle said?_

 

. 

 

Doumyouji screams, Hidaka collapses on a saucer-eyed Kamo, Akiyama falters on his ever present smile, Fuse lets out a dramatic gasp, Enomoto drops his jaws low enough to host the blimp, Benzai clasps a hand over his mouth, Goto clasps both hands on his mouth...

 

...Saruhiko chokes on the air...

 

... And Misaki, seemingly unfazed by the reactions, kisses the Blue soundly on both his cheeks and sits back smiling. 

 

 _This_ , Fushimi decides, _is the limit._

 

He firmly puts the little Misaki down and stands up, adjusting his glasses and begins to speak in a tone that dares to be challenged, but someone beats him to it. 

 

"Hello everybody!" He bows, like the well mannered, polite kid he is. _Not_. ''My name's Yata, I'm 7 years old and it's nice to meet you. And _this_ ," he flashes a blindingly bright smile at the Blue Officer, "is _my_ Saru." 

 

Saruhiko knows not whether he should laugh or cry at this introduction. 

 

All everybody can do in response is gawk in various states of unadulterated petrification, disbelief, awe and rapture. They know how this has happened of course, that particular strain had been working them to death.

 

"You are...Yata Misaki?" it comes out as a pained gasp. In contrary to the fireball of a human being spewing lava all the time, this kid is unbelievably cute. 

 

Misaki nods his head at that, seemingly a little annoyed at the sheer idiocy of a room full of grown ups. He shakes his head  a bit in a _God help these grown ups_ manner and busies himself with Saruhiko again. 

 

"You finish your work quickly, Saru, then we can go home and play, okay?" Misaki says, voice soothing, small hand closing over Saruhiko's, as if coaxing a child to finish his maths homework.

 

Saruhiko looks dumbfounded, he even feels it, and for once he forgets to be irritated as his brain processes the situation. 

 

_A seven year old kid, whose head comes up till the middle of his thighs._

_And he, the feared third-in-command of Sceptre 4._

_And not just any kid, it's Misaki, of all people._

 

"Misaki, come on. Let's see how you fare with the basics of Mathematics while I do my work." Saruhiko turns to leave. 

 

Misaki looks at Saruhiko like he's been betrayed and suddenly there is a crushing, melodramatic silence in the room, as if everyone's watching the family drama with bated breath. 

 

Everyone nearly jumps when the silence breaks.

 

"Uh, Fushimi-san, I mean, our break is not over yet...so can we...like – can Yata stay with us?"

 

Saruhiko stares in utter disbelief at the stuttering Doumyouji, and Doumyouji regrets being born for a second. 

 

" _What_."

 

It's not even a question. Just a statement, and Doumyouji's blood runs cold. 

 

"I mean, he'll...like, he can play with us..."

 

Saruhiko just begins to wonder why a roomful of adults have nothing better to do than play with kids and opens his mouth for a cutting reminder of how this is not what they are paid for, when an excited shriek cuts him off.

 

" _Yes_! I'll play with them! Saru!"

 

Misaki runs over to Doumyouji, the color returning to his face for the first time since that _Mathematics_ word was spoken. 

 

Saruhiko gawks at Misaki, feeling utterly betrayed, and _seriously_? He is the boss around here right now, and no one speaks above the feared third-in-command of Sceptre 4. 

 

"Misaki, they all have work—"

 

"We'll manage! Fushimi-san! We'll...", Doumyouji chirps in, but his words wither off when Saruhiko shoots him a death glare. 

 

"Don't interrupt me. I don't want to leave Misaki in charge of people whose level of maturity is made clear by the sheer amount of _disgusting_ stick figures in their re—"

 

" _Saru_!" Misaki scolds and the addressed person clamps his mouth shut. 

 

Misaki pats Doumyouji, and Doumyouji does look like he's just about to break into tears anytime. 

 

"Don't be so mean to this guy!"

 

Saruhiko purses his lips and clicks his tongue. 

 

Doumyouji cheers up visibly. "We'll have so much fun!" 

 

"We'll look after him, Fushimi-san, don't worry." Akiyama addresses the worried guardian calmly. 

 

Saruhiko clicks his tongue, and on the way out from the cafeteria, he meets Akiyama's eyes, and they assure him silently. Saruhiko hesitates for a second, and then goes out. 

 

Doumyouji's cheerful voice reaches his ears. "You should be on our side, you know, he always scolds us, especially _me,_ like that —and he's so scary..."

 

Saruhiko grimly lists up all the reports that have to be re-done and all those pending over-times and he decides that he has the perfect person for that. 

 

. 

 

Saruhiko stops at the base of the stairs leading to his workplace. 

 

_"He's being my dad now! Isn't that nice?"_

 

And another voice. 

 

" _Dad, will you go out with me and play?"_

_"Of course, I will, my precious monkey!"_

_"Oh? Monkey doesn't have other friends? Maybe it's because monkey is so boo~rrriing?"_

_"Oh come on, monkey! Give daddy a hug! Don't you love daddy? Because daddy lov—"_

_Don't say it. I don't believe it. You don't mean it. I don't need it._

_"Leave me alone, Niki."_

Saruhiko suddenly realizes how hard he's been gripping the railings when he hears small footsteps pattering behind him and growing steadily louder. 

 

He turns back and instinctively lowers his eyes, and even before his eyes can properly take in that head of disheveled auburn hair, a body throws itself at him and clings to his right leg. 

 

"Saru," that voice is all soft, and muffled from being pressed against his leg and full of those memories of Misaki calling him up at evenings and telling him to come home early, "Finish your work fast, okay?

 

Saruhiko detaches Misaki from his leg, and those hazel eyes look up at him, and nothing in them has changed, or will ever change. 

 

He places a hand on Misaki's head. "Yes, I will," He adds after a pause, "Go play with them." 

 

Misaki's face breaks into a bright grin, and Saruhiko smiles. 

 

On his way up the stairs, he hears the last words Misaki said to him before running off ringing in his ears, and those unwanted voices shrivel away and shut up. 

 

_"I love you, Saru!"_

 

. 

 

"Um, Fushimi-san," Doumyouji begins, sweating profusely, like he has just been dared by his fellow clansmen to propose their superior with a bunch of red roses. He clears his throat again. "Fushimi-san?" 

 

Saruhiko rotates his chair and faces Doumyouji, piercing glare in his electric blue eyes. 

 

"Um, the ba—er, Ya-yata..."

 

"Yes, what about him?"

 

"He's..."

 

"Missing?" Saruhiko stands up abruptly, hand ready on his knives, Doumyouji squirming under his steady glare. 

 

"No!" Doumyouji screams in panic, "He's gone into the Captain's cabin!" 

 

Saruhiko's fingers loosen around the knife and then tighten again; he spends a second debating whether he should stab Doumyouji and decides that getting Misaki out of the Captain's cabin is his priority now. He'd kill them later. 

 

He knows his Captain, and he doesn't trust him around Misaki. His creepiness would be too much for Misaki to handle. 

 

. 

 

Who cares if running in the hallways and taking three steps of the stairs at a time and sprinting disgracefully towards the Captain's cabin are against work ethics? 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smol Misaki just likes everything when Saruhiko is around, that explains why he likes it in S4. 
> 
> Soo, I figured that this is gonna end after, like, 2 more chapters? So, stay tuned!


	6. I'll be your wings, for you're my anchor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Fushimi-kun, why don't you come and join us?" Munakata speaks, but Saruhiko cuts him off swiftly. " _No_ , I'd much rather stay here." Saruhiko states from where he is standing in front of the door with as much bitterness as he can manage, and clicks his tongue.   
> .
> 
> _A small child._  
>  _Deafening silence._  
>  _Images of his childhood. Or whatever that was supposed to be._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry for this horrible delay. I had completely lost inspiration, due to a terrible loss that I went through, but thanks to all of those lovely people on Twitter who listened to my constant whining and helped me out of this block.

 

Saruhiko opens the door to the Blue King's cabin with a bang, and doesn't bother to ask for permission to come in. 

 

It seems that no one in the room is bothered by his entry as well, neither Munakata, nor Awashima. Not Misaki. 

 

Munakata is sitting on the tatami mats in the other half of the room separated from his work desk with bamboo plants. The kettle of warm water whizzes away merrily in front of them, and there are several pieces of puzzle scattered around. 

 

Misaki squats amidst the forest of the puzzle pieces and hands them to Munakata one by one, pointing enthusiastically to where he thinks the pieces might fit. 

 

Saruhiko knows not what to make of the situation. 

 

Munakata's glasses have that strange glint again, the one that he has when he's either very pleased with himself for some reason, or when he's trying to figure out how something works. 

 

Heck, and Awashima's eyes bear a look that Saruhiko has never seen before. That soft glow on her face as she listens to the little Misaki babble and chatter, the sweet little smile almost makes her look like a woman her age should look like. The tension that was evident on her face before the destruction of the Slates, which still remained after the event, by virtue of the sheer workload she brought up on herself is no longer visible. 

 

Misaki turns around at Saruhiko and waves enthusiastically, yelling to him to come over and have fun with them. 

 

Saruhiko stands stiff, jaws threatening to drop open at any time, hardly believing any of his five senses, while his sixth sense tells him to go back the way he came and close the door behind him. 

 

"Fushimi-kun, why don't you come and join us?" Munakata speaks, but Saruhiko cuts him off swiftly. " _No_ , I'd much rather stay here." Saruhiko states from where he is standing in front of the door with as much bitterness as he can manage, and clicks his tongue. 

 

"Would you not join me and Yata-kun in finishing this puzzle—" Munakata begins and Fushimi cuts him off with a severe " _No_ '', "...or for our tea ceremony?" 

 

Saruhiko's suspects that the corners of his lips are curving upwards as he muses about how the adult Yata Misaki would have felt about solving puzzles or having tea ceremonies with the Blue King and his Lieutenant. 

 

Pieces of their conversation float to Saruhiko's ears, and Saruhiko wishes he were deaf. Stone deaf. 

 

They proceed to talk about kittens, and bubble baths, and rainwater puddles, and piggybacks, and the treasure which is hidden at the end of a rainbow, and Rudolph, the red nosed dear, and Munakata enthusiastically and energetically adds his opinions and footnotes to what Misaki says.

 

"...Saru has to do a lot of work, doesn't he? " Misaki looks up at Munakata imploringly, and pouts a little."That's why he can't play with me..." his voice trails off and he stands up and tugs on Munakata's coat. "You're his boss, right? Can't you give him less work so that my Saru can be with me more?" 

 

And for some reason that's beyond Saruhiko, they talk a heck lot about Saruhiko himself. 

 

Saruhiko wishes to bang his head against the wall, because he can't really figure out for the life of him where this is accelerating towards. 

 

Awashima doesn't speak much, she just looks and looks at the little Misaki and there's absolute adoration and devotion in her eyes that shine every so often, when Misaki laughs and chuckles and giggles. 

 

. 

 

Misaki clambers off to where Munakata's sheathed sword rests on his table and as he touches it, his eyes widen with delight at this grand discovery. 

 

"Whoa! Is this...is this a _real_ sword? Is this yours?" Misaki's eyes alternate between looking at Munakata and the sword. 

 

"Indeed, it is. Every one of the people who work for the Department of—"  but Misaki is already on to the next topic. 

 

"Does Saru have one like that too? That's so cool, Saru! So cool!"  

 

Saruhiko bites the inside of his cheeks to stop that smile he knows is coming, as he suddenly remembers blazing auburn hair, burning like flames in the autumn wind, on the school rooftop and " _You're amazing, Saru_!" and that same voice of wonder and awe and honesty and pride. 

 

"What do you do with it?"

 

Munakata begins, as if he was addressing an auditorium of college students, "This special aura enhanced sword is specifically designed to eradicate—" 

 

Saruhiko swiftly interrupts, "He means that he teaches lessons to bad guys, Misaki" and Misaki nods at him, at the same time when Munakata is ending his lecture with "Because our cause is pure." 

 

Saruhiko is surprised that Awashima doesn't even look at him, let alone glare and begin one of her lectures about his terrible manners, about he shouldn't have interrupted the Captain. 

 

Goodness knows what Misaki interprets from that, but all the air in the room freezes as if to glass the moment he asks, "Have you ever killed someone with it? A bad guy?" 

 

Munakata's glasses catch the dying afternoon light and glint, his face still bearing that smile, the ever present smile, which seems to have been frozen to his features and from where he's standing, Saruhiko can see Munakata's fists tighten a little on his knee, a breath coming out with a little bit of extra force, and the rise and fall of the muscles of his throat that seems to be one too many times. 

 

Saruhiko almost sees his lips moving in a silent reply, moving to speak the words that are not specifically directed at anybody. 

 

"...only, he was not a bad guy, at all."

 

The afternoon light is dying, after all. 

 

. 

 

Awashima startles out of her reverie, and just as Saruhiko is about to call out to Misaki to come out and get home, she speaks, voice soft, "Yata-kun, come here for a while" and the pressing silence shatters. 

 

The look on Misaki's face changes, as if he can't quite place whether to accept the invitation, or finish the puzzle at hand. His natural curiosity wins over and he walks over slowly, amber eyes wide as he looks at Awashima, hands fiddling with the hem of his shirt. 

 

Saruhiko can swear that Awashima's nose is stained with pink, and so are her cheeks. 

 

She looks at Misaki for a while, hands twitching on her laps, and after a few seconds, she slowly moves her hand to place it on Misaki's head, and ruffles his already unruly locks slowly. Her lips curl up in a fond smile, and Misaki smiles back, slowly getting used to the hand on his hand, his eyes shining like liquid gold with the happiness that glows around him like a halo. 

 

The entire exchange is so natural that Saruhiko can't help but smile himself. 

 

"Why, Yata-kun, you're such a great little man!" she says, almost gushing with adoration. 

 

Maybe Misaki's nose was always so pink, Saruhiko thinks. Maybe not. 

 

Apparently, Misaki likes himself being addressed as a man, and in the blink of an eye, Saruhiko sees that Misaki has just made a new friend. 

 

Awashima gently touches Misaki's cute little nose and pinches his cheeks and Misaki gurgles with laughter and pulls off the dainty clip that Awashima uses to tie her hair. 

 

Saruhiko speaks out instinctively, warning Misaki, "Misaki! Why did—"  and Awashima cuts him off with a wave of her hand. Her golden hair falls around her face and touches her shoulders, and she looks so much younger. 

 

So this is how Awashima Seri looks like, Saruhiko thinks, whom we see everyday is the Lieutenant. And this woman is not the coldhearted woman at all. 

 

. 

 

Suddenly, the phone on Munakata's work desk starts ringing, and the alarm goes off. 

 

A strain has been sighted in a children's park downtown, and there are reportedly more children in the park than there were before the guy was seen entering the park.

 

Saruhiko groans.

 

.

 

Ten minutes later, Fushimi Saruhiko, the third-in-command of Sceptre 4 and the Alphabet Squad of Sceptre 4 stand in a circle around a young boy, the Strain, as he fumes, almost resembling a cornered cat. A few paces away, a very flustered woman stands, nervously trying to guard two kids, one blond and one brunette. 

 

Hidaka graciously moves over to get them out of here, getting these stray strains to submit their powers can be pretty nasty at times, and speaks soothingly to the frightened woman. "Ma'am, we need you to take your two kids and move out of the danger zone." 

 

The woman, lets out a whimper, clearly mortified by what's going on and points at the blond kid in front of her, "But, he's my husband! Not my kid!" 

 

Saruhiko turns and glances at the woman once, and reflects on how he perfectly understands the ordeal the woman has to go through for a few days now. 

 

He has left Misaki in custody of Domyouji again, because Misaki had seemed equally inclined to stay with Domyouji as Domyouji had been hell bent on ' _taking care of Misaki while his guardian was at war_ ', as he had put it. 

 

Maybe idiots had some kind of natural mutual understanding, that is the only explanation Saruhiko can offer himself. 

 

. 

 

Saruhiko brings out the standard issue handcuffs and just as he is about to lock them on the wrists of the struggling Strain held captive by two of his subordinates, he feels his vision darkening momentarily and the ground swaying beneath his feet. 

 

The Strain smirks. 

 

Blurry images begin to form in front of Saruhiko's eyes, he feels that everything around him is rushing past him and he feels like he's going back in time, he's cold. 

 

_His rucksack, lying on the floor and his books torn to shreds and the little pink eraser he really liked, in little bits and pieces on the carpet._

_The first maths test he'd scored full marks in, deemed as unimportant and worthless and a wastage of her time when he went to show it to her._

_A large empty house. Cold stares. Manic laughter. Glass shattering. Hollow eyes. Unvaluable. No locks on doors. Windows panes crashing shut in a stormy wind. Staccato clicks of high heels. The echoes. Deaf ears. Drunken footsteps. Cockroaches, charred soil, broken glass, dead ants. A doorknob turning. Earrings and finger-rings and chains glinting light. Red eyes. The smell of burning._

_A small child._

_Deafening silence._

_Images of his childhood. Or whatever that was supposed to be._

 

Saruhiko feels his knees beginning to give way, and it's as if every sensation reaching him through a wall of clouds, all sounds muted, all colors distant. 

 

Suddenly, a familiar cry pierces through the haze. 

 

Saruhiko just has enough time to shake his head to clear the grogginess, and turn around to see a whirlwind of orange hair colliding with the Strain. 

 

The eye contact is severed immediately and the images are gone in a flash leaving Saruhiko's head spinning and ears buzzing. 

 

"What did you do to Saru!" the little voice yells, and suddenly the Strain folds his knees and falls on the ground as Misaki headbutts him...in the stomach. 

 

Misaki has a strong head, Saruhiko corrects his original statement as he watches, the original statement being Misaki has a thick head. 

 

Amidst the rush, Domyouji comes up running to the scene, panting like anything, already forming explanations but Saruhiko has long given up on comprehending the situation and its course. 

 

The blue clansmen stand in silence as Misaki yells, punctuated by a storm of hits and blows. "You _freak_!" a punch of a pea sized fist to the Strain's right eye, "How _dare_ you hurt my Saru!", a flurry of scratches to his face, "How _dare_ you make him sad" and a kick to where it must have hurt the most, and then a final predatory lunge at the boy's throat which brings his head down on the asphalt, and the strain is done for, completely flabbergasted at this turn of events, utterly humiliated at his inability to win over a child. He deflates visibly and submits himself without any resistance. 

 

Misaki grins, victorious. The stunned members of Sceptre 4 break into a literal standing ovation. Saruhiko gapes at Misaki. 

 

Well, maybe he was not completely right. Maybe children were not just toys adults meddled with, powerless beings who were completely at the mercy of whoever provided them food and shelter. Maybe when they were not the most vulnerable of things, they were the strongest. 

 

The strength of purity and innocence. 

 

And incredulous stupidity and sheer dumb luck considering this was Misaki.

 

When the Strain has been marched away, Misaki stands grinning amongst the circle of Blue clansmen who are appreciating his courage and bravery, and Saruhiko can swear Domyouji is gushing. 

 

Saruhiko smiles, when he remembers about a dull afternoon and three dumb bullies in a damp alley, and a vibrant head of auburn hair and a small lithe ball of fire throwing himself in front of the bullies, trying to save someone he didn't even know. 

 

He smiles, as he remembers all those afternoons on the school rooftop, the wind ruffling through Misaki's hair, making it messier, and his idiotic grin, and the strong grip of his hand against Saruhiko's. 

 

He smiles, and calls out to Misaki, it's time to go home, and Misaki comes running, his little ball of fire and sunshine, and jumps up to hug him. 

 

He smiles, and crouches in front of Misaki, and if people are watching, he doesn't care. "Misaki, you're awesome," he says, resting a hand on Misaki's shoulder; it's wonderful how Misaki's face breaks into an even brighter smile, and Saruhiko feels like he's never known darkness. 

 

Saruhiko ends up giving Misaki a piggyback, and when they reach home, both of them are laughing, and it's warm again.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, writing when you have a 102° F on the thermometer is kinda tough, so forgive me if this doesn't make any sense.

**Author's Note:**

> Stay tuned...!


End file.
